Target
by tortuga23
Summary: short seq to X2. Celebro reconstructed, three powerful new mutants have been located. But Magneto is closing in on them fast, and Logan, Storm and Nightcrawler need to bring them back to the Institute where they can be safe. But now, they are wanted for
1. Celebro Again

Disclaimer: Only original stuff is mine! Everything else is NotMine!  
Timeframe: After X-2. May be logical to some and not to others. I don't know, I've only seen the second movie and loved it a lot. So here we go.  
  
INTRODUCTION  
  
Life was coming into its own again at Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted. Walls were being mended, floors being scrubbed, and windows being replaced -- everyone was helping out, even the students. There was only surface damage, and so it was pretty simple for everyone to clean up. Though mutant powers helped a lot, of course. A tidal wave in the hallway sure cleans out a lot of crap.  
  
But there were some problems. Professor Xavier was temporarily away from Celebro until he could fix it, and because of that, new students could not be recruited as readily. And it was hard to keep tabs on Magneto, Mystique, and Pyro. Knowing that Celebro would be out of commission for awhile, The Brotherhood accelerated their plans…  
  
…:::1.1:::…  
  
Professor Xavier stepped into Celebro for the first time in a month. Logan was right behind him, and they were both apprehensive. Logan shuddered as the heavy steel doors opened and a tinkly computer voice called to them, "Welcome, Professor."  
  
"I just hope nothing's happened, Logan. I need you to help me recruit more students. I think because of my lack of influence here, some people have not been called upon for needing to fine tune their skills. And that can be dangerous."  
  
Logan bit his lip and didn't say anything. He wanted more than anything to find Magneto and stop him, because he knew that The Brotherhood'd be taking full advantage of Professor Xavier's absence.  
  
The Professor slipped the device over his head and let his thoughts flow freely. Red figures encircled them in the tiny room and Logan was granted with glimpses into the lives of others. The people with stronger power glowed a brighter red, and most of them were located at Xavier's school. Some, however, were not, and The Professor focused in on them, because Magneto, Mystique, and possibly Pyro would be included in the stronger group. The dimmer dots were people with lesser powers or that hadn't fully discovered them yet.  
  
"Are you ready?"  
  
Logan nodded, but before he could wonder if the Professor saw his movement, his back being turned, the Professor started. It looked like a camera zooming in, but now they got to peek into people's lives.  
  
A dot was throbbing in the middle of the country, near Chicago or St. Louis. Logan raised an eyebrow and wondered what that was about. The Professor took interest in it and zoomed in, tossing a sidenote to Logan, "The throbbing one means that a very powerful mutant has just discovered their powers. I can feel it."  
  
'She's near Chicago' Celebro whispered in Logan's mind. 'She's powerful.' Logan was doubtful whether Professor was hearing this or not.  
  
"Don't worry, Logan. I hear it. Would you mind fetching Storm? I think Mystique and Magneto might need to be put on hold for this."  
  
Logan looked at the tiny dot in disbelief. Higher priority than a powerful mutant planning for world domination and the elimination of mutants? How could it be true?  
  
…:::1.2:::…  
  
Storm walked briskly through the halls after Wolverine, or Logan. She was disgruntled about having to leave her class. Logan, however, would not wait, and she understood that this must be really important. Professor Xavier wanted to see them right away.  
  
They came to the thick doors of Celebro and they opened without either of them having to do anything. They walked in after the doors slid away, ignoring the voice directed to the Professor this time.  
  
Xavier was still in the device, but Celebro couldn't be activated when the doors were open. Logan and Storm walked in along the platform behind the Professor's chair, and Logan let Storm in front, he'd seen most of this before. Or at least part of it.  
  
"Ororo, Logan, we have a new set of goals, now. I have just located the positions of three very gifted mutants, as well as the locations of Magneto, Mystique, and John, though they've been trying to evade me. Magneto is rapidly approaching her location. I have reason to believe she is in danger. As for the others, they seem to be well for the time being, but if Magneto located this girl, I hope you understand that they might be able to locate the other two, too. And we can't let this happen."  
  
Storm spoke up. "Do you know anything else about the three?"  
  
"Yes, we'll need a little something more if we're going to find them, Professor, she's right."  
  
Xavier pulled off the device and turned around. "Of course you need details. I'll tell you what I can."  
  
…:::1.3:::…  
  
Storm strapped herself in to the pilot's seat of their private jet. This would be one fast ride to Chicago. Nightcrawler was coming with her and Logan, just because they thought he'd be able to help. He'd also be able to transport Logan or Storm to the other two at a moments notice. But they needed the jet to take the children back to the Institute.  
  
Logan nodded to Storm and she started the engine. With a look back at Nightcrawler, who was braced and ready, they prepared to take off. 


	2. Prolific Surprise

Disclaimer: Only original stuff is mine! Everything else is NotMine!  
Timeframe: After X-2. May be logical to some and not to others. I don't know, I've only seen the second movie and loved it a lot. So here we go.  
  
…:::2.1:::…  
  
Leu was a runner, as they called them in Chicago. A street kid. Her dad was dead and her mom was an alcoholic and on drugs. The last time she'd seen her dad was seven years ago, when she was six. Now she was thirteen and things were different.  
  
As soon as she'd realized her mom wasn't going to care for her anymore, she left. Her mother was affectionate and all, but only when she wasn't stoned. During her hangovers her temper tantrums were unbearable, and Leu soon learned to stay out of her way. And now she was on her own. It wasn't hard. Every now and then she'd get picked on. It was no trouble. No trouble at all. Most of the other street kids feared her, now. They used to tease her, call her Illusion instead of her real name, Aleusia, and pretend that they'd heard her wrong. They accused her of being a dreamer, something she really couldn't quite deny. And whenever she got in trouble with the police for stealing or sleeping on someone's porch while they were on vacation, then she changed. They never noticed, nor did anyone else. She was careful.  
  
She never really knew her dad, but she really wish she did. As soon as her powers started evolving, she didn't know what to do -- she had no one to tell. And day by day they were growing stronger. She just felt that it might have been genetic, but she didn't really know much about the subject.  
  
Before her powers came out, Leu had had to survive by herself, with no family members, a mother, a father, or even a proper home. It wasn't a good way to grow up. In addition to being very fast and being able to think on her feet, Leu had a lot of combat abilities and could win a fight with almost any weapon she found on the street, whether it be a gun, broken beer bottle, or a piece of rusty barbed wire. She'd had a lot of experience. But living on the streets gave you some bad qualities, too. Leu was reluctant to trust anyone, and she'd only trust you if you've proved yourself. She tended to be a kleptomaniac, and she was forced to, never knowing when her next meal was going to be. But, as if by the fates, she always survived. Unlike other street kids, she was not malnourished, she did not lack sleep even though it usually only lasted for two hours at most, and she never gave up. There was an inner determination in her that no one else had -- it was the motivation to make something of yourself.  
  
…:::2.2:::…  
  
Shedding her disguise for the time being, Leu morphed back into her natural state; curly blonde hair, dirty face, almost full figure, and eyes as blue as the lake itself.  
  
She spotted Benny up ahead. He was greedily clutching a palm pilot and throwing dirty looks at anyone who looked at him twice. He smiled his horribly yellow teeth at Leu, who squinched up her nose and ignored the foul scent as he walked past. She heard him whispering to himself, and the thought made her squirm. Walking past, she noticed that the palm was open to a global positioning / tracking system, and the thought made her alarmed. Either Benny had been paid to track someone (something in her opinion far beyond his brainpower) or someone was tracking their palm pilot, which he most likely stole. If the latter was true, Leu felt that she needed to get out of there pretty quickly. She didn't want to be involved in any police chase. She couldn't risk it.   
  
The small alleyway was cluttered with other people, too, most huddled around bonfires or hiding under raggedy blankets. Someone could easily be cornered by the police in this place, she didn't know why they'd chosen it. She was only coming through on the way to her mother, who she might be able to trick out of some money.  
  
"Now," Benny whispered, and Leu quickened her pace. Almost as she was about to step out onto the sunny street again, where cars were parked and life began again, a car exploded in front of her with a massive fireball.  
  
"Hell," she whispered under her breath and ran the other way, bumping into Benny. People were clear of the alley now. Benny flashed his eyes at her because she'd caused him to drop his precious palm. Leu gasped, his eyes had been yellow for a minute, but now they were a dusty, mischevious brown.  
  
People were screaming in the street, many were yelling about another terrorist attack. But no one had gotten hurt, it seemed like the spontaneous combustion was controlled. It hadn't hurt anyone besides the car, and possibly the owner if they realized their 2002 Mercedes had just burst into flame.   
  
She ran to the fence, but before she could help it, the fence was torn aside by and invisible force, and a man stood quietly behind it. Leu backed up uneasily, running into Benny, who was now someone different.  
  
Leu gasped. Benny was now a girl… obviously. She was blue and scaled and hideous looking. And she was a shape shifter. Uh oh. So there were others… but they were here! What did they want? And why?  
  
The man spoke. "Hello Illusion. I assume that's your name, right?" 


	3. Short circuit

Disclaimer: Only original stuff is mine! Everything else is NotMine!  
Timeframe: After X-2. May be logical to some and not to others. I don't know, I've only seen the second movie and loved it a lot. So here we go.  
  
(sorry for all these short confusing chappies, but I like them!)  
  
…:::3.1:::…  
  
She didn't want to open her eyes, she knew it wouldn't be pretty when she did. And she was right.  
  
"You have a choice, Illusion."  
  
With a moan she sat up, and tenderly opened her eyes. The light from the glowing white room blinded her, and she rose a hand to shield her eyes until they had adjusted.  
  
"Don't call me that."  
  
"Call you what?"  
  
Her eyes adjusted quickly, a trait she'd long had. But the sight before her was unwelcomed. An older man, the same one she'd seen before, was standing before her, and the other blue scaled mutant was there, too, along with another. The other one was a young man a couple of years older than her, with cropped dark brown hair hanging loosely in his eyes. He was holding a lighter and flicking it open and shut repeatedly. It was very distracting.  
  
"My name is Leu. Not Illusion -- I'm not some kind of action figure or object or something, so don't you dare…" She rose to her feet.  
  
The man stepped back, but the shape-shifter stepped forward. In a mocking tone she asked, "So what's your decision?"  
  
…:::3.2:::…  
  
"She's not here!" Storm cried in distress. "We missed them!"  
  
Nightcrawler rubbed Storm's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. "Don't vurry, ve vill find zem soon, you'll zee…"  
  
Wolverine cursed under his breath. The had been too late! The only other choice now was to find the other two. The Professor would send them the coordinates.  
  
…:::3.3:::…  
  
Charlie Romano finished up his homework and shut his laptop. It locked with a click, and he swiveled around in his desk chair.   
  
He had a privileged life, that was obvious. Living in upstate California, he lived richly with his dad. His father, Jack Brandon, had divorced his mother, Juliet Romano, just over two years ago. After the departure of his wife, Jack seemed to be blossoming with money that he'd had hidden away, and Charlie was still not used to all this glamour. A small villa in the outskirts of San Francisco with their own private wine vineyard -- his father's ultimate dream come true. It was a peaceful place, a utopia of sorts, and very comfortable.  
  
Charlie heard his dad's Porshe pulling into the curved driveway in front of their historic stone villa and leapt out of his chair. He turned on his desk light and waved to his dad through the window. He saw his dad smile back, and smiled.  
  
A shadow flickered on the edge of his vision, and he spun around, confused.  
  
…:::3.4:::…  
  
Mystique stood, anchored in the ground, ready. Bring it on.  
  
Leu mentally slapped herself. How did she know that woman's name? And what was she going to do?  
  
Magneto left the room with a vague wave of his hand and, "Tell me what she decides." And he was gone.  
  
Pyro was still flicking his lighter open and closed. Even Mystique was starting to get bugged now. She turned around aggressively. Leu smiled and imagined him in her mind. She even blew air out of her mouth for real, just to complete the image.   
  
Before Mystique had a chance to throw any harsh words at Pyro, he was burning in his own fire. He screamed and screamed, and Leu's eyes only opened wide in horror. Had she done that?  
  
But something else happened before she had a chance to fully react. Later, she was thankful -- it had kept Mystique from suspecting her. But what happened next was a surprise for everyone.  
  
There was a light sound like a candle being blown out, and a young boy about her age all of a sudden seemed to be falling from the ceiling. Of all places to accidentally teleport. He seemed more terrified than all of them put together. Who was he?  
  
…:::3.5:::…  
  
Rogue dove at the boy, and Bobby stepped out from the shadows. But before they could do a thing, he yelled loudly and disappeared from their sight. Rogue dove into the corner of his desk and Bobby froze his window until the slightest breeze broke it to bits. They stood there, shocked, when Charlie's dad walked into the room.  
  
…:::3.6:::…  
  
Charlie screamed. What had he done?! One minute he'd been happily waving to his dad through the window of their posh Californian villa, the next…?  
  
He didn't know how he'd gotten there, but it all seemed like a big, elaborate joke. There was a woman scaled, blue, and naked, and there was a boy burning himself to death. What was going on?  
  
And then there was the other girl.  
  
Her blonde curly hair was splayed out behind her, and she was staring at the Burning Boy with just the same amazement as Charlie. She looked over to him, and didn't seem at all surprised to see him there. She gestured vaguely to the boy, who was now screaming loudly. He heard her whisper, "I did that."  
  
…:::3.7:::…  
  
Wolverine watched the boy as the jet sped along towards Michigan. He was sitting in a seat in the back, levitating a paper airplane and making it fly around the room. Logan watched as he squinched his eyes shut. The plane combusted in a small explosion, but it didn't seem to have anything to do with fire. It just… burst.  
  
Storm talked to Rogue, Bobby, and Nightcrawler on the radio and helped them out with the coordinates. A second later, they were there, standing in the empty cargo part of the jet. Storm rose from her chair after setting it on autopilot and came to greet them. The boy didn't seem too surprised. He looked pretty used to the whole mutant idea.  
  
"We just missed his dad. But what will he think? That mutants kidnapped his kid? We should have thought this through more!"  
  
"There wasn't time, Rogue. We did what we could. And he's still not safe. Are you sure he teleported?"  
  
"Yeah, positive."  
  
"Then why didn't he just teleport to his dad or something?"  
  
"It looked like our attempt at kidnapping awoke his powers. He's supposed to be pretty powerful, but we'll just have to wait and see. If we can find him."  
  
"We should call the Professor again, and get his coordinates from Celebro. And maybe we can find the others." 


End file.
